Commentary - 09/20/2006

Who Controls The Major U.S. Military Contractors?

This page was created to help determine who really controls
the top 10 defense contractors listed this year in the
DOD's 2005 report,
which became available January 2006.
It was a lot of work, but it
turned out very interesting. I can't help but think that nothing
has really changed since 1889, when the Great Red Dragon book was published,
except that a greater amount of power has been concentrated into fewer hands since then.

The point is, control of American companies is rapidly being consolidated
into a few foreign hands, and they are also doing so at
"frantic" pace.
Damn any of the promises that had been made, such as retirement benefits,
health care and pensions. And why is this being done?
To "own the earth in fee simple."

You can do the same lookup on any public corporation and see for yourself who controls what.
You will also see that some of the major holders are hardly nothing more than
a "front" for another, more powerful group. Simply find out who the major holders
of the major holders are and you will see for yourself. This is simply
to make it easier to deceive the public.

While doing this, remember that it only takes 10%, sometime less, sometimes more,
of the stock to "control" a widely-held corporation.
Especially when management and insiders show little or zero ownership. They, as hirelings,
simply take their marching orders and their large paychecks, and everybody else be damned.
If they show any conscience about what happens to their employees or customer base,
they are simply replaced by another "aggressive leader."
Be sure to click on the company's stock letters to check on these
"Key Executives," the sums they were paid last year, and the stock options they cashed.

Another problem we're facing now is the growth of private-equity
groups, which don't have to make the same disclosures as the publicly-held groups.
This is why they keep gaining up on the SEC to "prevent" disclosure and accountability.
This story appeared September 1, 2006:
Buyout Firms Join Lobbying Efforts.

7. BAE Systems PLC.
BAE SYSTEMS is now Europe's largest defense contractor and the largest foreign player in the
US defense market. BAE's offerings include avionics, military aircraft, armored vehicles,
air-defense systems, missiles, artillery locators, communications and navigation systems,
radar, ships, space systems, and aerospace electronics. BAE's fighter aircraft include
the Harrier, Hawk, Tornado, and the next-generation Eurofighter Typhoon.
BAE also owns 20% of Airbus, Boeing's only competitor for large commercial aircraft.
The company acquired armored vehicle maker Alvis in 2004 and United Defense Industries
the following year. Would you be surprised to find Barclays their largest stockholder?